Monday, 29 July 2013

MP's face public backlash over pay proposals

Leicester residents have slammed a Westminster watchdog's MP’s pay proposals as ‘insulting’ to hard workers across the country. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has recommended a wage increase from £66,396 to £74,000 for MP’s by 2015.The independent body say that the package should cost an additional £500,000 which can be found from the existing £170 million annual budget.Darra Nagra, Mayflower Road, Leicester thinks it is an outrage MP’s could be getting a nine per cent hike in wages when real time wages for everyone else have decreased.Mr Nagra said, “MP’s basic pay is plenty compared to the minimum wage. They get paid enough without needing to make extravagant claims for expenses.”Joyce Remington, Evington Flats, Leicester said, “I don’t think they should be getting it”HS Bharaj, Turner road, thinks MP’s should not get paid more than 50K, he said, “All they do sit in the commons and talk all day.”A couple from Evington, Main Street, Leicester who did not want to be named, thought the pay increase should be moderated considerably. The woman said, “I’m a nurse and I don’t agree with it especially with everybody else in the country struggling.”IPSA is also recommending a new cost-effective pension scheme, a scrapping of the so-called ‘golden goodbye’ and tighter regime on expenses. IPSA is expected to announce its preliminary proposals later this month.